Is your bike safe?

With the weather improving and our consciences turning greener, many of us are leaving the car at home and cycling. Sadly though, according to Halifax Home Insurance, one bike is stolen every 65 seconds, an increase from last year’s figure of one theft every 71 seconds, with the worst areas being London, Bristol, Gloucester and Oxford.

With the average cost of replacing a bike working out at over £300, it is perhaps surprising that many victims fail to report the theft to the police. Whilst you may feel that the police are unlikely to catch the perpetrator, it is equally unlikely that your insurance company will pay your claim if you do not report the matter, since this is an underwriting requirement.

Cyclists would be well advised to check the small print on their home insurance policy to see whether or not they are covered for theft of their bike. In some cases they will find that bikes are only covered up to a certain value unless specifically listed on the policy schedule. What's more, they may well only be insured at home which can be a frustration for those actually intending to use their bikes!

You may well think that you are safe because you never leave your bike unattended unless securely locked up. However, of the bikes stolen, 86% had been locked up and 5% were taken from under the victim’s nose at home.

To foil the would-be bike thief you should:

• Try to park your bike in a busy area
• Use a steel u-type lock
• Mark your bike with your postcode in ultra violet pen
• Keep a note of the make, model and serial number
• Register your bike with an agency
• Keep it locked up at home, whether in a garage, shed or outbuilding

For more advice see the Home Office website.

Comments

Leave your comments

Name:
Email:
Comments:
Please enter the validation code shown

Your email address is required so we can verify that the comment is genuine. It will not be posted anywhere on the site, will be stored confidentially by us and never given out to any third party.